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Mahanta elected as AGP president

By Staff reporter

GUWAHATI, April 26 � Former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has again become the president of the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) after the gap of over a decade. Mahanta was the founder president of the party. He defeated Padma Hazarika by a margin of 37 votes in the elections held for the party posts here today. Mahanta secured 211 votes against the 174 votes of Hazarika.

In the election to the working president of the party, Rajya Sabha MP Kumar Dipak Das was defeated by Atul Bora (Junior) by a margin of 68 votes. Bora secured 225 votes against the 157 votes of Das.

Altogether, 390 out of the 395 general house members of the regional party cast their votes in the elections today. Those who did not cast their votes included present party president Chandra Mohan Patowary, former party president Brindaban Goswami, former minister Sahidul Alam Choudhury and Chandra Prakash Sarma and Rahen Rai.

Sahidul Alam Choudhury failed to cast his vote due to ill health and he is learnt to have been undergoing treatment. Chandra Prakash Sarma and Rahen Rai were absent, while Chandra Mohan Patowary and Brindaban Goswami did not cast their votes despite their being in the city.

Meanwhile, AGP election committee member Bijon Mahajan told reporters at the Ambari headquarters of the party that Keshav Mahanta (256 votes), Ramendra Narayan Kalita (206), Joseph Toppo (185), Pradip Hazarika (171) and Durga Das Boro (164) have been declared elected to the five posts of the party general secretaries, which were open for election.

AGP members today thronged their party headquarters at Ambari since the morning. Supporters of the candidates were seen waiting anxiously till late in the evening for the results. When the results were declared, supporters of the winning candidates became jubilant.

The new president of the party will nominate two general secretaries, seven vice presidents, ten secretaries, one finance secretary, one information and publicity secretary and one office secretary in consultation with the five elected general secretaries and the working president from among the 21 central executive committee members elected today and the 73 central executive committee members elected directly by the district committees.

The AGP will hold its next triennial conference on May 12, 13 and 14.

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